


Curiosity Killed the ErROr- Bonus Scenes

by ShandyCandy278



Series: Satisfaction Brought Him Back [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Anon #4, Aww poor Dream, Blue joins Ink to Fight Error, But he won’t sleep, Chapter Five is basically crack, Claustrophobia, Coma, Crack that is inspired by Villager News, Creator #27, Creator #42, Creator #69, Death, Discovery of Oneself, Edge loves his nerd, Error is in trouble, Fear of Change, Fear of Restricted Movement, Fear of loss, Flashbacks, Fluff, Good thing Edge is there to help, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, I have waited so long to upload this, Just dreams, Kisses, Loss of World, M/M, Mourning, Nightmares, Ooo enchantments, Phobias, Poor Cross too, Revelation, S P O I L E R S, Sci is pissed, Sci needs to sleep, Sci wants revenge, Spoilers, Tags May Change, The Past Haunts Him, UTONN, Unexpected Pregnancy, Yellow Paint, You Have Been Warned, flufffff, paint, traumas, tumblr inspired
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-13 10:37:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21492952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShandyCandy278/pseuds/ShandyCandy278
Summary: I really couldn't help myself, and now you can read of the other events that have happened before, during, or after the events of 'Curiosity Killed the ErROr'!
Relationships: AfterDeath- Relationship, Cream- Relationship, Errink- Relationship, SciFell- Relationship
Series: Satisfaction Brought Him Back [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549132
Comments: 179
Kudos: 276





	1. Blue's Day Off

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is dedicated to our lovely Blue, whose 'Day Off' scene I had taken out of the original story because it hadn't quite fit. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Blue wasn’t one to normally ask for days off.

But today… Today was the exception.

As he went around his house, tidying up what little mess there was and folding laundry, he listened to the playlist Edge had suggested to help with days like today.

It had been hard, to move on.

It still was.

After the XEvent, any worlds that had been affected by it were reset- from before Cross’ intervention and no further. The Frisks, Chara, Temmie, and Floweys knew nothing of what had transpired. Sans and Red had been able to return to live with their families.

But when Blue tried to return, a glitch had occurred.

For whatever reason, a new version of him had replaced him in his home.

He didn't have a place in his world anymore.

No one could figure out why, but he got the hint quick enough. The universe didn't want him to be apart of UnderSwap’s timeline anymore.

It had taken a while to get used to it- he lived with Edge and Sci for a bit while he figured out his living arrangements. Once he finally settled down, he tried to figure out life in a new world. But no matter what he did, learned, or tried to do…

Nothing felt right.

One day, Error had decided to rain his fury on the world Blue lived in. He and Ink fought endlessly in the sky, and Blue had used emergency devices that Sci had given him to get the people to safety. When he was finished, he realized that he had felt more alive and… well, happy than he had in  _ months _ . It was like a light had flickered on in his head, reminding him of the day he had decided he wanted to be a member of the royal guard.

The two days had been so similar. He had been struggling mentally when he was forced to protect someone and realized just how much he enjoyed the act.

It was at that moment that he knew what he wanted to do.

And, foolishly, he jumped into the fight with his bones, blasters, and recently mastered teleportation ability.

He had gotten more broken bones and bruises in that fight than he had in, well, ever. He didn't regret one moment of the time that he spent helping Ink fend off the Destroyer of Worlds.

Ink, being Ink, had decided to bring Blue to the doodle sphere to take care of him instead of just submitting him to the hospital. Blue had learned more about Ink within that period of time than he could have if he had studied him for years. When he learned about Ink and Dream’s struggles fighting off Error and the Nightmares, he insisted he join.

After everything was talked out, he walked into the Doodle Sphere on the first day of being a Guardian, and everything just clicked into place. His soul felt like it was fully realized.

He finally felt like he belonged in the universe.

Finishing folding his clothes, he lifted up the basket and carried it to his room, setting it down. He took a moment to look over a picture he had kept in his pocket since before the XEvent, pausing in his movements. He had insisted on taking the selfie with them when they had finally made it to the surface. Everyone looked happy- genuinely happy.

Napstaton.

Happstablook.

Asgore.

Undyne.

Alphys.

Toriel.

Chara.

Papyrus.

He moved his hand up to the framed, slightly torn photo- caressing the edge of it. Tears built up in his eye sockets as he smiled.

He hoped they were proud of him.

He felt something fall from his chin and blinked, moving the hand from the picture to his face.

The tears had fallen.

Blue sighed and shook his head, continuing onward and moving to put his clothes away.

Today might be the day he had learned of the mistake and his chosen day of mourning, but he still had work to do.

He’d meditate on it later.


	2. Overdose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ink is so excited when he appears before Dream that he fainted. He should've woken up by now... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place waaaaaaay before Curiosity Killed the ErROr and the XEvent, so before Blue joined the team. I couldn't help myself, and it didn't turn out how I wanted it to, but I literally can't do anything else for it. Might as well post it.
> 
> Uhh... warnings for drug overdose and comas? Yes? Yes.
> 
> You have been warned. :3

“DREAM OMYGOSH THE BEST THING JUST HAPPENED!”

Dream jumped from where he had been sitting at the sudden shouting, turning around and magic at the ready. He relaxed when he saw that it was just Ink, and he smiled.

“What? Ink, what’s going-”

“ICAN’TBELIEVEIT ICAN’TBELIEVEIT ICAN’TBELIEVEIT OMYGOSHDREAM HEACTUALLYLIKESIT HELIKESIT ANDHEGOESTHERE AND-”

And Ink suddenly fell face-forward. Dream gasped and caught his unconscious friend before he could crash onto the ground, checking for wounds.

There…

Weren’t any?

“Ink!” He exclaimed, shaking his friend. No response. “Ink! Ink, wake up!” He shook Ink a little harder and placed his head over the guardian’s chest, listening for a heartbeat. He panicked when he didn't hear anything, but then relaxed.

_ ‘He doesn’t have a soul.’ _ He reminded himself.  _ ‘That’s normal.’ _

But fainting suddenly  _ wasn’t _ .

Dream continued to look over Ink, trying to figure out what was going on. It wasn’t until he looked closely at the vials that he realized that while the others were three-fourths full, yellow was completely empty.

_ ‘Did he drink the whole thing?!’ _ Dream asked himself, fingering the vial.  _ ‘Have I ever actually seen him do that before, though? What happened? Do I need to take him to the Doodle Sphere?’ _

That sounded about right.

Dream grunted as he supported Ink’s weight and picked him up, teleporting to the Doodle Sphere and then into the house. He placed Ink on the couch, unsure of what else to do.

Didn't smelling salts help if someone fainted?

Would they work on Ink?

What if…

Dream paled at the very thought, shaking his head and stepping back.

No. 

No, Ink couldn’t die. 

He had told Dream so himself- so long as people Created, he would live.

_ What if people had stopped? What if his lifeline was gone?! _

No.

He couldn’t panic.

Dream sucked in a deep breath and let it out.

Ink would be okay.

He was sure of it.

* * *

_ Seventeen Days. _

It had been seventeen days since Ink had fainted, and honestly? Dream was lucky that Error or Nightmare hadn’t attacked yet.

He had stayed there in the Doodle Sphere nursing Ink- looking up everything he could about it. He had tried everything, and he didn't know what to-

“Dream?”

“Ink!” Dream sprang to attention from where he had been sitting down on the floor, instantly at his friend’s side. His eyes were simple white eyelights, but Dream didn't really care at the moment. “You’re awake!”

“I… was asleep?” He asked, his voice monotone.

“Yes.” Dream nodded. “You were asleep for seventeen days.”

“Seventeen…?” Ink blinked a few times. “Seventeen what?”

“Days.”

“Seventeen Days.”

“Yes, you were asleep.”

“Was I?”

“Yes, Ink. You were asleep for Seventeen Days.”

“Asleep for Seventeen Days.” Ink repeated, his gaze blank. “Is… that important?”

“Yes! Ink, you were-”

“What was important again?”

_ Impossible. _

Ink was officially Impossible.

“Here-” Dream reached behind him and showed Ink the vials- he had refilled them while Ink was out. “You should drink some. Maybe that’ll help.”

“Okay.” Ink took a sip from all of the containers, and then a second. They sat there for a minute or two, waiting for the paints to take effect. Ink shivered, blinking as the colors slowly bled into his white eyelights while the said white dots melded like clay into various shapes. They finally settled on a green question mark and a blue pentagon.

“Dream?” He asked.

“Yeah?”

“What happened?”

“I was kinda hoping you’d tell me.” Dream moved so that he was sitting next to Ink’s legs, watching as Ink held the vials close. “You appeared in front of me shouting about something and then just… fainted. You’ve been out for Seventeen Days-”

_ “Seventeen Days?!” _ Ink gasped, sitting up. “What the-” He grabbed at his scarf, looking through all different kinds of tiny notes that Dream himself couldn’t distinguish. “But I didn't get into any fights! In fact, it says here that…” Ink furrowed his brow bones, tilting his head.

“That…?” Dream probed. Ink gasped, a smile suddenly washing away his confused look. His eyelights switched to a purple star and a yellow moon.

“Error! He likes Outertale!” Ink exclaimed. He was vibrating with excitement. “He actually likes Outertale! I saw him there! And he was just! Relaxing! And it was so! Cool!” He paused, as if an idea occurred to him, and he reached for the yellow vial. 

“Wait- Ink-” Dream placed his hand over the vial just before Ink drank it. 

“Dream?” Ink asked, confused. “What’s wrong? You know how I work- this isn’t dangerous or anything.”

“I-I know, but…” Dream sighed. “When you fainted on me, your yellow vial was empty.”

“Empty?” Dream nodded. “But I never let my vials go dry.”

“Maybe they didn't.”

“... You’re thinking that I drank all of it?” When Dream nodded again, Ink hummed in thought, putting the vial down. “Huh. Weird.”

“Let’s… refrain on celebrating for now.” Dream gently pushed Ink’s hand down lower, maneuvering Ink’s fingers to close it back up again. “Let’s try not to give us another scare, okay?”

“Okay.”

_'Note to self,'_ Dream thought, smiling and his soul still beating heavily in his chest. _'Never let Ink drink a whole vial.'_


	3. Dream is Pregnant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see the other scenes of chapter 8, one where Dream finds out what's going on, and one where we see Cross react to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so many bonus scenes that needed to wait for chapter 18 to come out, smh.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!

“You’re pregnant, Dream.”

The words felt so heavy when they left Sci’s mouth- as though he shouldn’t have even spoken them because the weight of them would crush Dream.

Maybe they did.

He’d have to get back to himself about that.

“The only reason as to why you can still use parts of your magic is because you have two kinds. The ones you were given thanks to the Golden Apple, and the magic that comes with any kind of monster.” He opened his computer up and pulled up something before showing Dream. There were two lines on a graph- one yellow and one blue, and while they were very,  _ very _ close to each other, not once did they intersect. He pointed at the yellow one.

“This charts the magic that makes you a positive spirit, and that also gave you the ability to travel across the universe and spread positivity wherever you go. It was mainly docile until you ate the Golden Apple, in theory. I don’t have any records of you before the change, otherwise, we would know what exactly is going on.” He pointed to the blue line. “This is the magic that makes you, you. The magic that all monsters are born with.”

“It’s more complicated than most people’s magic, but because you’re pregnant-” He pulled up a new page that looked just like the other one, only this time with a green line. The green line was mostly straight and steady, occasionally raising at certain points. The thing that worried Dream was just how often the blue and yellow lines suddenly combined with the green line at random intervals. “They look like this now. That green magic is your child’s, to clear things up. It’s looking healthy so far, but we still have about nine months to go.”

“The magics are colliding together to provide different things for your child. They both have the same goal: to protect and provide for the baby. When you reach for your magic, only one of them is able to respond, but because they’re both caring for the baby it grows unstable with its consistency. I’d have to do a few tests, but it is possible that the baby won’t be able to survive if this keeps happening because it’s not used to the presence of only one kind of magic. The only way for your magic to settle is for you to stop using your magic completely.”

“But I summoned my bow just fine earlier today.” Dream frowned. He was still in shock, but he could wait to actually react. Right now he needed to focus, even if it was hard.

“You got lucky.” Sci deadpanned as he tapped the yellow line. “Assuming that you actually fought- had you fired an arrow at your brother, there’s a good chance that your magic won’t respond because it puts the baby first. You would have ended up exhausting yourself. Again. Maybe even possibly hurting the baby in the process, considering how far along you are.”

“That… makes sense.” The Guardian admitted slowly, leaning back in his chair. He rested a hand over his stomach- where his clothes had been feeling a little tight lately. “In a weird way. But how am I pregnant? I haven’t had sex yet.”

“Well, the father’s magic is to blame for that.” Sci frowned, turning the computer back towards him. “I’ve studied Ink’s magic, and-”

“Ink’s the father?”

“Yes.” Sci sighed, squinting at the computer. “Ink’s magic is very… interesting, considering that he has no soul. For most skeletons, both of them have to want to have kids before one can conceive, and this is usually communicated to the two magics from the soul. Because he’s soulless, however, the only thing that matters is if the other one wished to have children while their magic interacted with his magic. A survival tactic to make sure his magical genes are passed on. I’m surprised it took this long for it to happen, to be honest.” He shot a knowing look at Dream.

“I… don’t know what you’re talking about.” Even Dream could tell that a very prominent blush was on his skull, but he ignored it.

“Sure I don’t.” He rolled his eye lights. “Proof’s right here anyway- there’s no reason to be embarrassed about it.” He gave a small smile. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to look you over and make sure that everything’s still doing okay. I’ll even send you home with a few things to read up about it so that you’ll know what to expect. I doubt you’ve had the time to learn or that your village had a school you could actually go to to learn such things- no offense.”

“None taken.”

“In that case, if you could follow me, I’ll get you-” Sci stood up, and for the first time since Dream arrived he noticed the state of Dream’s clothes: torn, dirty, and old. “Is this why you didn’t know yet?” He asked with a raised browbone, gesturing to his clothes. He sounded like he had already guessed this was the case, but Dream was too embarrassed to think about it.

“Yeah.” Dream shifted uncomfortably, a golden yellow blush on his cheekbones. “When you’re on the run you can’t afford to bring too much, and if your magic’s going bezerk the last thing you worry about is how you look or getting a clean change of clothes.”

“No, I understand.” The other sighed, taking off his glasses and cleaning them. “We’ll just need you to shower before we get you in a medical gown. Is that okay?”

“Yes  _ please _ .”

“Alright.” He smiled, almost amused, before shaking his head. “Follow me, I’ll take you to the closest one we have.” Sci walked around the desk and offered his hand to help Dream up. The Guardian gave the hand a weird look until he remembered their conversation.

“Thank you, but just because I’m… pregnant doesn’t mean that I can’t get up on my own.”

“Of course.” Dream stood up as Sci took his hand away, a hand resting absently on his stomach as Sci led him out of the room.

_ 'Pregnant, huh…?' _

“You’re taking this awfully well for being about three weeks pregnant.”

“I think I’m still in shock.” He admitted. Then his eyes narrowed, looking over at Sci. “Wait, did you say three  _ weeks _ ?”

“Almost, but yes.” They turned a corner, walking towards a cleaner area than previously. “I’m sorry I didn't tell you sooner- there’s never a correct way to go about doing this. Anyway- these are the spare rooms that we have here in case someone needs to spend the night. I’ll come back with some gowns and then I can take you to the maternity ward.”

“This place really  _ is _ a lab and hospital in one.”

“What can I say, you have to do the best you can with what little space you have when you live underground.” Sci pressed a button and opened the door, letting Dream walk inside. “I’ll be back soon, okay? Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.” The door closed behind him, and he relaxed. He was hesitant to really do anything, actually, but that was okay. He took a deep breath and released it as he walked forward, towards the door where the shower was. He turned on the lights and got the shower running, making sure that it was a nice, warm temperature.

With that done, the next thing he did was carefully take off his circlet and cape. He folded the cape with care and placed it on the counter, gently laying his circlet on top of it. With the two most important items out of the way, he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his gloves. He found himself anxious to actually see the proof, so the next thing to go was his pants and, finally, his shirt.

The second his eyes caught sight of his golden-yellow ecto, he couldn’t look away. 

He hadn’t summoned his ecto-flesh in a very,  _ very _ long time. Even though he knew it would be there due to the pregnancy, it was still a massive shock to him when he actually saw it.

And there, under it all, was a very,  _ very _ small soul.

Dream gasped- the inhale of air sharp and light, yet somehow bringing the crashing reality onto him in one large, heavy explosion. 

He raised a shaking hand, slowly placing it on top of the ecto. He caressed the area around where he could see the little soul, entrapped in a strange kind of emotional awe.

“Hi there, little one.” He whispered, tears stinging at the edge of his sockets. The soul was absolutely, positively  _ beautiful _ .

Unable to control his emotions any longer, he laughed. He laughed and cried all at once- for his relief and worries, for his joy and pain. He braced himself against the counter before slowly sliding to the floor- cradling his stomach, and thus the little soul, with his arms.

_ ‘Don’t worry.’ _ He thought, an indescribable wave of love and adoration for this tiny little life forcing the tears he had held back for far too long to fall.  _ ‘I’m going to protect you. You don’t have to worry about anything. I promise.’ _

* * *

_ Pregnant. _

_ Dream was Pregnant. _

Even as he led Dream to the couch and sat down with him, he still struggled to process it. He wiped the tears that were falling from the other’s eyes, trying to think straight.

_ How did this happen? _

…

Well, he knew how this happened, but Dream had never mentioned having a significant other. What if he had been in love with someone else this whole time? Had he been trying to flirt and get together with someone who was already happy? Who had a family?

But if that was the case, then why was he crying about it? Why did he look so depressed?

“Dream-” Cross cleared his throat, doing his best to comfort the other. “I… what happened? I don’t understand…”

“I-I…” Dream laughed a little, shaking his head as he pushed the palm of his hand against one of his eye sockets. “I don’t know…? I mean, I know, I’m just…”

“Overwhelmed?” Cross smiled a little, holding Dream a little closer. He vaguely remembered something about ‘mood swings’ with those who were pregnant. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought.

“Yeah… Everything just hit me all at once and I just…” The Guardian sniffed, cuddling into him more. “Needed this.”

He soaked in the feel of Dream’s body against his- how many times had he dreamed of it? Hoped against all hope that this would happen?

Then he remembered himself and leaned away a little. No, he couldn’t do that now. Dream had someone already. He wouldn’t get in the way of that.

“So, who’s the lucky guy?” He asked. He coughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “I didn't know you were in a relationship.”

“What?” Dream blinked, looking up at him. He still looked so sad and shaken up that Cross wanted to smother him in hugs and squeeze it all out of him, but he refrained himself. “Cross, I’m not in a relationship.”

He frowned.

“You… kinda have to be in a relationship with someone you want to have kids with in order to have kids, Dream. That’s how skeleton reproduction works.” He pointed out slowly, tilting his head.

“O-Oh.” Dream blushed, hiding his face in his hands and then hiding them in Cross’ chest. “This is embarrassing…”

“Woah, since when did you get embarrassed just like that? Normally it takes longer.” Cross smiled, hesitantly raising his hand. He placed it on top of Dream’s head and rubbed it soothingly. “Just tell me. I won’t judge.”

“Well…” Dream turned to look up at him, the tears gone from his eye sockets. Thank heavens, tears did  _ not  _ suit him. Well, they did because Dream was always adorable, but he liked seeing Dream happy more. “Apparently, if you want to have kids while interacting with Ink’s magic, he can get you Pregnant.”

“What?”

“It’s weird.” Dream admitted, shyly. He moved back to hiding his face in Cross’ chest. “Sci thinks that it’s because Ink doesn’t have a soul. I haven’t had sex or anything, and of course, just thinking about settling down with a family gets me pregnant. Literally, nothing could get weirder than this.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of things that are weirder.” He consoled awkwardly, although he couldn’t name anything off the top of his head. Dream sighed, content with his answer and (for lack of a better term) melted into Cross. He had a soft, pleasant smile on his face, any remaining sadness long gone- and Cross would have given up the world just to stay there, in that moment.

And they did. They stayed like that for a while, actually- and eventually Cross got curious.

“Can I see?” He asked. Dream didn’t answer, but he did get off of Cross. 

At first, he wondered if he had done something wrong. An apology was on the tip of his tongue when Dream grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up just high enough for him to show Cross.

Cross had never seen Dream’s ecto before.

Heck, he doubted that anyone had outside of Dream, and maybe Nightmare.

It was a very pretty golden yellow that matched Dream’s eyes, and as he looked over he could have sworn that it sparkled in the light. A purple flush crawled over his face at realizing that his fantasies hadn’t been far off, and he shoved the thought down before stubbornly stomping it into nothing.

The only thing that interrupted the pretty yellow was a small, white soul. He raised a hand, looking up at Dream curiously. With a smile and a nod, he placed it over Dream’s ecto and used his thumb to rub a circle on it. He didn’t see the yellow blush on the other’s face.

“It’s…” He tried to find the right words. “So  _ tiny _ .”

Dream laughed. “That’s how they’re supposed to start out, silly.”

“I know that.” He caressed the ecto, leaning his face down closer. “I’m just… wow.” He looked up, a thought suddenly striking him. “Does Ink know?”

“Not yet.” Dream moved a little, and Cross found he didn’t want to move his hand away from the unborn child. So, logically, he decided that they were  _ both  _ going to lay down. He wrapped his arms around Dream and encouraged him to lay down in between him and the back of the couch, his hand still on Dream’s ecto and his back towards the open air of the room. Dream’s own hand was lifted up and placed on top of Cross’ in between their two bodies, a small smile on his face.

“Do you want him to know?”

“... Yes, but not right now.” Dream hummed, closing his eyes and leaning closer to Cross. “I need to figure out how I’m going to keep working. I can’t just abandon Blue and Ink.”

“I’ll take care of that.” Dream frowned, but Cross leaned down and nuzzled Dream’s head soothingly. “Don’t worry about it, please?”

“... Okay.” He finally relented, relaxing. “I won’t worry about it.”

“Thank you.”

Besides, Cross already had a plan in mind.

Dream just wouldn’t like it.


	4. Boop, it's Afterdeath! :D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We visit Geno after Error dumps Deam and Cross on him. How exactly did he get together with Reaper, anyway?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in order to keep track of the chapters, I'll put a comment on the line there and mark it with something.
> 
> The one for this chapter was written at like, three in the morning after I scrolled through a lot of people booping snakes, cats, dogs, dogs booping cats, cats booping dogs, etc.
> 
> I liked it so much I kept it as the title.
> 
> Also, WARNING! There is mention of Suicidal Thoughts in this chapter!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Geno couldn’t quite believe his eye.

He had never met Error in person until Ink had brought him into his home a few weeks ago. He got any and all information about him off of Ink, Reaper, and Dream. Sometimes Blue if he felt like coming. 

Reaper had built him up to be this massive, insanely strong and insane corrupted skeleton that talked to nothing and was a general pain in the butt. 

Ink saw him as a story yet to be told- in need of a friend to show him the way after some kind of dark, angsty backstory had twisted his view on life.

Dream and Blue were between the two- both agreed that Error might need help, but that he was also insane and the chances of actually talking him out of destroying worlds would be impossible.

Now that he had met him twice though, Geno couldn’t help but think that everyone was getting the wrong picture about  _ something _ .

He didn’t know what it was about Error. 

Maybe it was because he was the only other skeleton he had seen with  _ actual glitches _ . 

Maybe it was because he looked so different. 

Maybe it was because his attitude was cynical and testy. It reminded him of his time in the save screen, before he met Reaper. 

Maybe it was because something within him resonated when Error was around.

It was as if Geno had known the other before. He was familiar to him, and it almost made him want to know why.

“Uhh…”

He had bigger problems at hand, though.

“Come on in.” He held the door open wide with a small smile, waiting for Cross to walk in. Once they were both safe inside, he spoke. “Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine.” Cross dismissed almost immediately. He paused for a moment. “Nightmare just found my house and we needed to leave.”

“Here-“ Geno moved some books and toys off of the couch. “You can lay him down there. Reaper’s off at work at the moment and he shouldn’t be home for a while. Do you want anything? Water? Coffee?”

“... Do you have chocolate milk?”

“Yeah. Stay here, I’ll be back in a moment.” Geno smiled and left the two of them in the living room, allowing himself to think while pulling out his phone. He opened up the texting app with a small smile.

_ Hey, Reaper.* _

_ Don’t be surprised if you come home to a full house.* _

_ We have guests over.* _

He reached into the fridge and pulled out a jug of chocolate milk. Something told him Cross would want to drink it the way it was and not mixed with regular milk, so he poured it into a cup while getting two cups of water for himself and for Dream when he would wake up.

_ *Oh? And who would these guests be, honey? _

_ Dream and Cross. From the sounds of it they need a place to hide from Nightmare.* _

_ *Smart. Do I need to come home early? _

_ No, I just wanted to let you know.* _

_ *Great! I’ll inform Paps. Love you, Gen <3 _

_ Love you too Reaps.* _

Geno shook his head fondly, pocketing his phone and carrying the cups into the living room. He placed a cup of water onto the coffee table for Dream and handed the one with chocolate milk to Cross.

“Thank you.” He said softly, sitting down by Dream’s feet when Geno sat down on a recliner. 

“It’s nothing.” He smiled, fingering his cup of water and taking a small sip from it. He nervously watched Cross drink his drink, waiting for a reaction as he spoke. “It would be really nice to know why, though. This is… kinda sudden. From what I’ve heard from Dream, it’s almost been a year since the last time you had to move. What happened?”

The guard winced, bringing his cup back down and wiping some of the leftover milk from his face.

“We shouldn’t really talk about that while Dream’s asleep.”

“Alright.” Geno glanced down at the Guardian, finally noticing the clothes he was wearing. “Is he doing okay? I haven’t seen him wear anything other than his usual outfit since…” He frowned. “Well, ever.”

“He has a habit of not changing his clothes,” Cross admitted. “It’s hard when you’re constantly on the run.”

“So he’s wearing your clothes?”

“It was a pain to convince him to wear them.” Cross smiled a little, and Geno could see the smitten look he had in his eyes as clear as day. “Once we had him changed though, he insisted on wearing one of my coats. He said they were really warm.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Geno thought back to a time during his pregnancy with Goth- where he had insisted on wearing Reaper’s robes until one day where he had almost tripped over the cloth. He shook his head absently. “It does look warm.”

“I suppose.” Was Cross’ answer. Dream shifted a little in his sleep, and Geno was about to ask something else when a thud sounded from upstairs. 

“Hold on just a moment, I’ll be back.” Geno stood up as Cross nodded. He walked up the stairs and went over to the far room, opening the door.

Yup.

Goth was awake.

And his speaker for lullabies that kept him asleep was on the floor.

“Oopsie!” The toddler exclaimed, pointing at the speaker that was still playing music. “Oopsie! Oopsie!”

“If you do it on purpose, it’s not an oopsie.” He laughed, walking over to the crip. The child grabbed at his ‘mother’, babbling and wiggling happily in Geno’s grasp. “Alright Gothy, you need to behave for me because I have guests downstairs, okay?”

“Mama!” The child cheered, tugging at Geno’s scarf. Geno rolled his eyes but didn’t comment on the choice of words- it was an inside joke between him and Reaper, so why get upset if their son picked it up? Or if other people started calling him that? It wouldn’t really matter unless it became derogatory, and when that happened the people responsible would be in for a  ** _bad time._ ** “Mama!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The glitch sighed, proceeding to go and walk down the stairs. He smiled apologetically at Cross when he looked up.

“Sorry. You haven’t met Goth yet, have you?”

“No, actually.” Cross smiled, observing the baby in Geno’s arms. “He… looks adorable.”

“He is.” Geno laughed a little, sitting down where he had been sitting before and letting Goth go when the other wiggled around absently. He smiled at the little skeleton fondly. “Gothy, this is Cross.”

“'oss!” The little one decided firmly, bouncing up and down a few times before toddling over. 

“Hi there.” The Guard waved awkwardly as the child used his leg to help him steady himself, the one eye light observing his face. Goth seemed to fully register him for a moment before bapping his leg in what looked like approval, babbling nonsense.

“So…” Cross cleared his throat, and Geno had to blink away his surprise. He had honestly thought that he’d have to initiate all of the conversations, but it was nice to see Cross working as well. It had been  _ far  _ too awkward earlier. “How did you and Reaper get together?” He asked, looking over at Geno. “Dream never told me.”

“Oh.” Geno blushed, fiddling with his hands as they twitched. “Well-”

“You don’t have to.” Cross interrupted, wincing just barely. “I’m just curious.”

“Oh, it’s fine!” Geno insisted. “Don’t worry about it. You see… I was-”

“Pal-Pal!”

Both adults turned to look at Goth, who was grabbing at the fabric that was wrapped around Dream’s stomach. The Guardian mumbled in his sleep, an eye socket opening a little.

“Goth!” Geno hissed, a little mortified but stifling his laughter. He almost moved to pick his son up when Dream smiled at Goth. It didn’t appear as though he minded, and Geno knew from experience that if he took Goth away, Dream would feel bad. It would be best to let Dream interact with Goth and return the toddler on his own time.

“Hi there.” He mumbled sleepily, lifting a hand up to rub at the toddler’s skull. “How’re you doing?”

“'eam!” The toddler practically beamed before gently patting Dream’s stomach. “Wan’ Pal-Pal!”

“Hmm.” Dream hummed in mild confusion, looking over at the rest of them. He seemed to connect the dots in his head before he looked over at Cross, Geno sitting just a little straighter. “Did you tell him?”

“No.” Cross shook his head. “We were waiting for you.”

“Oh.” The Guardian sat up, shifting the clothing around him and picking up Goth. The toddler was ecstatic, wrapping his arms around his Uncle’s middle while babbling. “I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

“Don’t be!” Geno smiled. “There’s plenty of time for you to tell me when you’re ready.”

“Besides,” Cross gave a small nod towards Geno and a smile at Dream. “Geno was just telling me how he and Reaper got together.”

“Oh!” Dream smiled, and Geno wished he could have caught it on camera. It was so much bigger and much more genuine compared to the small, controlled ones that he’d let out before. The worry that he held for the two of them ceased- Dream deserved to be able to smile like that after what he went through. 

“I love that story.” The Guardian confessed to Cross, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

“I know you do.” Geno laughed, remembering when he had first told Dream. It was the closest thing he had seen to a genuine smile on Dream after he had relayed the events, even after all of the visits up until this point in time. 

“Can you tell us, then?” Cross asked, a little of his own mask chipping away. A little more comfortable now, Geno nodded. He thought back to a few years ago- back to the life he had left behind.

“You see, in my world, I’m supposed to be constantly on the verge of Death, trapped inside a place called the Save Screen.” Geno shook his head. “Not exactly the best way to meet your future husband- especially when he was  _ supposed  _ to go there to reap your soul.” 

_ (“Come on, sweet Genocide~” The God of Death cooed, evading his attacks and scythe at the ready to send Geno off to the afterlife. “We both know that you’re long overdue.” _

_ “Go rot in the void!” Was Geno’s answer. _

_ “Feisty.” The God purred, teleporting to behind Geno. “I like it.” _

_ “Are you seriously flirting with me?!” _

_ “Perhaps~” Death laughed when Geno threw some more bones at him. He dodged them with ease. “It’s cute that you’re trying to hit on me and all.” _

_ “You mean GET a hit on you.” _

_ “Nope. I meant trying to hit on me.” _

_ “Yeah, well you know what?!” Geno teleported away, summoning his blaster and firing. “Suck on this, ya pervert!”) _

“He was supposed to...” Cross drew his thumb across his neck. Dream giggled as Geno nodded.

“Yeah. His Death Touch didn’t work on me, so in order to do his job, he’d have to physically kill me. And throughout the whole battle, he kept on flirting with me!” Geno rolled his eye light, huffing a little. “Suffice to say, if you’re like him and can’t actually touch anyone without killing them, and then finally find someone who  _ can _ stand your touch, you’d probably be really flirty too.” He shrugged. 

“Regardless, he wasn’t able to kill me for whatever reason, even though I lost the battle. He came back every day for the next month to try to finish the job, but every single time he only ever talked with me. I was pretty upset at him though, so he started to try to do things for me to help me forgive him. It wasn’t until he had given up and revealed his thoughts on the matter that I actually gave in.”

_ (“... Sorry.” The God of Death sighed, raking a hand through nonexistent hair and turning away. “For bothering you. This is all probably just really confusing. I should just leave you alone.” _

_ “... Knock Knock.”  _

_ Silence. _

_ Death paused and turned around, his black cloak billowing out behind him. It was hard without seeing any eyelights, but Geno knew the other was surprised. After a few moments of silence, he repeated the prompt.  _

_ “Knock Knock.” _

_ “Who’s there?” _

_ “Peony.” _

_ “Peony who?” _

_ “Thanks.” Geno lifted his hand up and hid his mouth behind Papyrus’ scarf, the tiniest hint of a red blush on his cheeks as he looked down at the (fake) bouquet in his hands. “For keeping me compeony. It means a lot.” _

_ A small snicker slowly evolved into a chuckle at the joke, and Geno couldn’t help but smile too. _

_ “You’re welcome.” They stared at each other for a few moments before Death, almost shyly, continued. “Does… that mean that you wouldn’t mind me coming back?” _

_ “You idiot.” Geno huffed, the smile dropping as he gave him the most serious deadpan he could after giving a joke. “Of course that’s what it means.”) _

“It took a while after that for either of us to actually get close to romantic.” Geno rolled his eyes. “Reaps claims that he fell in love with me at first sight, but looking back it was really obvious that he had no idea how to show it. Having people everywhere running at the sight of you doesn’t exactly help you express your feelings. There were quite a few misunderstandings, but after another month or so he got the hang of it. Just a little bit.”

_ (“... Death, what are you doing?” _

_ “Nothing.” _

_ “That doesn’t look or sound like nothing.” Geno looked to the side, and the God continued to hide something from him. “What’s behind your back?” _

_ “Nothing!” He exclaimed, continuing to hide the object. _

_ “Nothing my sass!” Geno glared up at him, his eye light shining with determination. “Just- show it to me!” _

_ “No!” _

_ “Show me!” Geno leaped forward, but Death evaded him easily- even summoning his wings so that he could do so, dwindling any chances that Geno might have had before to zero. _

_ He continued to try regardless. _

_ “I said no! It was a mistake to bring it here!” _

_ “No, it wasn’t!” The glitch argued back, not even sure of what exactly he was arguing about. “Show me!” _

_ “No!” _

_ “Show! Me!” _

_ “I said no!” _

_ Eventually, Geno chasing Reaper around turned into a game that ended after both had fallen down laughing, although Geno fell more from exhaustion than anything. _

_ “It can’t be that bad.” Geno huffed as he tried to get air back into his nonexistent lungs. “Just show me? Please?” _

_ “...” He heard a sigh, followed by some shifting, and suddenly a bundle of cloth was being pressed into his hand. _

_ “Huh?” Geno sat up, looking down at the article of fabric in confusion. “A blanket…?” _

_ “It’s cold in here, right?” Reaper asked, sitting up as well. A soft blue hue was dusted across his cheekbones. “I know it’s not a bed but I can’t exactly make portals to pull things like that in here, and-“ _

_ “Reaper.” _

_ It was the first time he had used the God’s chosen name, and when he looked down at him, Geno smiled. _

_ “Thank you.” _

_ The blush grew as Reaper flustered over his answer, finally managing to say ‘You’re welcome’. Geno chuckled lightly at the sight. _

_ It was… really cute.) _

“Our friendship grew from that, and I looked forward to our meetings. When Reaper found out about what my life was like, he’d start to tell me stories from all of the different places he went to in the Multiverse. The Legends of the people there, what story the world created, and even stories about interactions he had with the other Gods.” He looked down at his ring, fingering the band habitually. 

“One day, I was… struggling. A lot.”

_ That _ was an understatement.

_ (“I’m worthless!” He cried. “I can’t even protect those that I care about! What’s the point?! No matter how hard I try, I always fail! I should just end it and die!” _

_ “Gen-“ _

_ “Just kill me!” _

_ “No!” _

_ “Why?!” Geno sobbed, hating that he was clinging so hard onto Reaper’s robe that he was shaking. “Why spare me?! There’s no point- no logic to any of it! You- You should have just killed me all those months ago! I don’t- I don’t deserve any of your kindness or mercy!” He held on tighter, his actions betraying him as he scooted closer, tightening his hold on him.  _

_ “I can’t.” _

_ The soft-spoken words only made him cry harder, and Reaper’s arms that were wrapped around him moved so that he could rub his back soothingly. _

_ “I won’t.” He continued, starting a motion that had them rocking from side to side. “You are so much more than what you think, Geno. You’re not a failure, and you deserve every single act of kindness and mercy that I have to offer. Nothing you do or say will change my mind, Gen.”) _

“I was questioning a lot of things, and when I asked him why…”

_ (“Why? Why put up with this?” The glitch asked who knew how long later, shortly after his sobs died down. “Why put up with  _ ** _me_ ** _ **?** Why spend time here?”) _

“He smiled at me. It was a smile I had seen countless times before in small, happy moments, but I was never able to pin down what it was until he spoke.”

_ (“Because you mean everything to me, Geno.” He confessed, his low voice smooth and full of conviction. “You mean more to me than coffee, my job, my friends, my family-“ Reaper moved his hand to hold Geno’s, weaving their fingers together and holding on in a gentle way that almost made him start crying all over again. “You mean more to me than the sight of a sunrise, than the stars that sparkle high in the heavens. You… you mean more to me than ANYTHING.” _

_ “Why?”  _

_ His whispered breath was answered with a hand guiding his chin up to look at Reaper, followed by the said hand caressing his cheek lovingly. _

_ “Because I love you, Geno.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, holding the glitch closer and nuzzling his face into the skull of his beloved. “Oh, stars above, I love you so, so much. I would do anything to see you smile- to hear you laugh so hard that you start snorting. To see your eye turn into a star from pure excitement and to listen to you ramble on and on about anything. I don’t even care if you don’t feel the same, but I just… I love you, Gen.” Reaper laughed a little, the vibrations echoing in his rib cage and making Geno smile in spite of his tears. He was tempted to join. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” _

_ With each little proclamation, a little flush of red came to Geno’s cheeks until his whole skull practically glowed. He hugged Reaper tighter, closing his eyes and hoping to hide his face in Reaper’s chest. _

_ “I-Idiot.” He muttered, unable to hold back the smile on his face. “I… I love you, too.”) _

“After we confessed, we dated for almost a year. Reaper, along with his Alphys, was able to make a device that would let me leave the Save Screen, and my World, without dusting. Reaper always did his best to take me somewhere new- to show me the Multiverse. It wasn’t long before he proposed, and a few weeks after that… well.” Geno laughed, gesturing to Goth. “This little guy decided to let himself be known.”

“That’s…” Cross smiled, a lot more relaxed than he had been and even playing with Goth’s hands a little when the toddler tried to grab onto his locket. “Sweet.”

“Yeah, Reaper’s much sweeter than you’d think, being a God of Death.”

“Aww, Gen~” All three of them jumped, and the said god appeared out of nowhere, floating upside down in the air and his face right in front of Geno, not even centimeters away. “You’re not supposed to tear down my reputation~” He whined teasingly.

“What reputation?” Geno scoffed. Reaper gasped and floated right-side-up, placing a hand over his soul with a smug, and utterly attractive, smirk on his face.

“Oh, sweetie, you hurt me!” He leaned down to whisper in Geno’s ear, a flirtatious tone sending shivers down his spine as the God’s voice lulled into a deep and low purr. “I thought I had one for pleasing you~”

“Reaper!” Geno hissed, red spreading across his face. He glanced between his husband and their guests, relaxing when it appeared they didn't hear anything. “We have company!”

“Fine.” He sighed, leaning away and turning around. He looked over all of them, and his eyes doubled back on Dream. “Do you guys have news to share with us? Gen told me that you were staying for a bit, but he didn’t say anything about why.”

“Oh! Yes, actually.” A golden yellow flush came to life on Dream’s cheeks, and he handed Goth to Cross despite the child protesting and clinging onto Dream’s clothes. The Guardian sat up straight, clearing his throat.

“I’m preg-”

“WANT MY PAL-PAL!”


	5. Do-Do-Do-Do~Do~ Creator News!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember the second scene of chapter 19?
> 
> Yeah, this...
> 
> This is what the Creators and Anons are normally doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found a post on Tumblr that was talking about how they really wanted to see a News Network for the Omniverse (Undertale Omniverse Network or UTONN) and all of the potential that would come out of it, and I know that they were originally talking about actual characters with mostly serious reports and all that.
> 
> I was also supposed to finish prepping a chapter for the SSS AU to be posted today.
> 
> But the post also contained some serious Villager News Vibes and Creator/Anon Vibes, so you know what?
> 
> This is a thing now.
> 
> Enjoy the crack!

“Hello, and welcome to UTONN- the only place where you can safely watch Multiverse Shenanigans in real time. I’m your host, Creator #27.” They shuffled their papers around, gesturing to the left. “And this is my cohost, Creator #69.”

“Sup.”

”Okay, first off, we have very important updates to discuss.”

”Yes, very important.”

“Everyone can hear your sarcasm, Anon #4. Just switch the camera feed.” #27 sighed.

“Okay, Okay.” The camera feed switched, revealing a huge graph with multiple dots on it with one big dot in the center and a big dot next to that too, labeled ‘Undertale’ and ‘Deltarune’ respectively. “Creator #42, you have the floor.”

“Ah, yes-“ They startled, grabbing a stick and pointing at the graph. “Well, Error has recently caused Chaos around the universes in this-“ They drew a circle with a stick. “Area. Nightmare and his gang have been spotted in the Fell worlds, so a heads up for those who stalk those areas. Fresh has continued to appear and reappear randomly with no set pattern yet, but we have our experts working on the case. And remember, the answer to everything else in life is 42. Back to you, #27 and #69.”

“Thank you, #42.” #69 nodded. “Now, we have had numerous reports all over the Omniverse of Ink continuing his chaotic deeds.” They flipped through a few pages and adjusted their glasses. “Some of the highlights include riding a flying pig to spite someone, creating a magical stab horse for Error to ride off into the sunset, and the use of tremendous amounts of mistletoe to see if anyone will actually kiss anyone. We have 31 confirmed new ships that are expert multi shippers are analyzing as we speak, and we’ll hear more on it as soon as it comes out.”

“Core Frisk has not revealed any future holiday plans for the Omega Timeline unfortunately, but all of the survivors there are happy and celebrating in their own way. An Omniverse wide Christmas event is supposed to take place in Kingdomtale as the CPAU tradition states. We have yet to receive confirmation to the party from any of the original cast, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. Now, onto-“ A sudden explosion of rainbows flooded the room, and when the smoke cleared, Fresh was standing on the table.

“WIGGIDY WHAT’S UP MY RADICAL SINNERS?!”

”AAAAAAA-“

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep  
_

* * *

_ **   
We are experiencing technical difficulties, please stand by. ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can it be canon that Creator #69 had the Lenny face in Chapter 19?
> 
> Yes?
> 
> Oh wait I wrote them as an Anon.
> 
> Fine. 
> 
> #69 was the one with a knife that wanted gore and stuff.
> 
> It’s canon now.
> 
> There will be no going back. *^*


	6. A Fear of Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see what happens after Dream and Cross talk to Geno and Reaper, and we also see how Cross got his enchantments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy!

They were quickly given the guest bedroom not long after they finished talking with Reaper and Geno. They could only spend a day or two at most because of Nightmare, but the two husbands had insisted that they’d always have their doors open for them should they need some shelter.

Dream shut the door behind them, sighing when he still heard Goth’s cries. The toddler hadn’t wanted to leave Dream, and he had kept on clinging to his stomach. 

_ ‘Pal-Pal, huh?’ _

Pal, another word for friend. Goth didn't actually have a lot of his friends his age, did he?

He lifted a hand up absently, rubbing small circles around his ecto-flesh through his shirt and a fond smile spreading across his face. It was cute- Goth had always been adorable in his book. Besides, Goth had been so insistent… Maybe he could name the child something along those lines? What kind of names could start with ‘Pal’?

He shook his head. He should think about it later. Who knew if he’d actually be able to name the soul? Living on the run wasn’t exactly good for the baby, but they also didn't really have a choice… he could only hope that they’d have enough luck for everything to work out in the end.

“Are you doing okay, Dream?” Cross asked, placing a hand on Dream’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m… doing fine.” He sighed, turning around. He looked up and into Cross’ eye lights, smiling up at him.

...

...

Well, actually…

“I’m still mad at you.” He narrowed his eye sockets into a glare, and the smile was replaced with a frown. “Why didn't you tell me the truth?”

“Because…” Cross sighed, looking away and already feeling guilty again. “Because I felt like I had to. You didn't even hesitate when I asked you the first time, and I know how stubborn you can be. Someone needed to help them in your place so that you can rest easy. I wanted to prove…”

“Prove what?” Dream asked, tilting his head to the side and slowly leaning forward so that he could try to meet Cross’ gaze. Cross still avoided looking at him, his hands balling into fists. He took a deep breath.

“Prove that I…” He tried again, gritting his teeth when nothing came out. 

_ Oh. _

So that’s what it was about.

His soul ached, so Dream reached forward and pulled Cross into a hug.

“It’s okay.” He soothed. “You don’t have to talk about it yet. I’m sorry I didn't realize what was going on sooner.” He looked up, but Cross still wasn’t looking at him. He hugged him tighter. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” Cross huffed, his form trembling from suppressed feelings. “I shouldn’t have lied to you or tricked you. I… I just-” He sighed, hanging his head. “I’m sorry. I won’t go back.”

He probably should have seen this coming too. Dream started running his hands up and down Cross’ back.

“Who said that you had to stop?”

_ Finally _ , Cross looked at him, and he smiled.

“My main problem was that I wouldn’t be able to be there and have your back. I’ve already told you- I care about you  _ too much _ . I’m sorry for being so protective, I just…” Dream smiled sadly. “Don’t want to lose someone again. You can still go- especially now that I know Ink won’t forget and Blue won’t be too caught up trying to help everyone. I don’t trust him, but I believe that Error will do what he needs to until I can come back. Just… try not to need help from him, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Cross chuckled, slowly wrapping his arms around Dream. He held the Guardian close, breathing in deeply. Dream couldn’t help but feel triumphant when he finally relaxed. “And for the record… you can  _ never _ care about someone too much.”

“I do.” Dream mumbled. “I’d do anything.  Even if…” He shook his head. “Nevermind.”

“...Okay.” Cross sighed, letting it go. They stood there in silence for a moment until Dream remembered something.

If Cross was going to be fighting Nightmare, he’d need something a bit more than Error helping him, wouldn’t he? It wasn’t like anyone else could do what Dream could. Would it work? The only way to know would be to try.

“Hey, Cross?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I see your Daggers for a moment?” Cross furrowed his brow bone in confusion, but he nodded. They both took a step away as he summoned them, holding them out for Dream to take. Dream held them with ease, turning around and placing them on the bed. He held his hands up, concentrating.

_ ‘Come on…’ _ He thought.  _ ‘Cross is going to need this, please work with me here. Come on~!’ _

He felt the spark between his fingertips just as his hands started to glow. He smiled and placed his hands down onto the blades of the daggers, pressing his magic into them firmly.

“Dream!” Cross gasped, realizing just a second too late what was going on. “You know that you’re not supposed to-”

“There.” Dream let go and sighed, ignoring how suddenly weak he felt as he dismissed his magic. “You can… you can actually fight Nightmare now.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Cross approached him from behind, wrapping his arms around him and dispersing the daggers. Dream leaned into the embrace a little, glad for the support.

“Summon them again.”

“Dream-”

“I’m not going to use my magic.” Dream huffed, rolling his eyelights. “It was a simple enchantment, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“It  _ is _ that big of a deal.”

“Please? I need to make sure that it worked- I’ve never done it before.”

With a sigh, Cross summoned one of his daggers. He gasped when he saw it, the blade faintly glowing the same blue as Dream’s arrows. The Guardian nodded, smiling to himself. 

“What…”

“Your blades can do damage against Nightmare now.” Dream explained. “It’ll help you against Killer, too. Hopefully. I don’t know what my enchantments do- I don’t like using them and I’ve never needed to use them before.”

“... Thank you, Dream.” Cross held him closer and dismissed his weapon, scowling. “But  _ don’t- _ ”

“Use my magic.” He laughed. “Okay, okay- I won’t.”

“Good… Hey, Dream?”

“Yeah?” He looked up at Cross, and he opened his mouth, his right eye flickering red. He was determined, clearly, but the flickering stopped shortly after as Cross shook his head. 

“Never mind.”

“Cross-”

“I should ask Geno and Reaper to see if they have clothes that we can borrow.” The Guard gave Dream a hug, and it made his soul flutter happily even as his stomach churned. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.”

But he knew what Cross wanted to talk about. He could feel it- had always been able to feel it.

The need to talk about it was growing stronger with every passing conversation.

And that scared him, because he didn't  _ want _ to talk about it. The moment they did, there would be no going back. It would be much more dangerous no matter what the outcome was.

He hoped that they would never have to talk about it.

_ Ever. _


	7. A Dash of SciFell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge convinces Sci to go to bed with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anyone else noticed that saying 'Sci Fell for Edge' is kinda a pun because their ship name is 'SciFell'? 
> 
> Or maybe it isn't, I'm a bit sleep deprived rn (anxiety sUCKS).
> 
> Anyway, first things first, this was originally going to be put in after chapter eleven, in it's own chapter with the small scene with Cross and Nightmare (or maybe just one or the other), but I ended up taking it out.
> 
> Next, it was inspired by TheGrinningKitten's mini-comic for a ship event (which can be found here: https://twitter.com/GrinningKit/status/1098284447315750916?s=20 ).
> 
> Finally, there is a warning for this chapter for suggestive themes, mentions of sex/wanting to have sex, and Edge using persuasive tactics to get Sci to go to bed with him (? I'm really not a good judge of it and they don't actually do anything passionate, but I am also paranoid/anxious with a lower level of sleep than normal, so this is what we're going with).
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Edge wanted to go to bed. 

Halfway through the Dinner Date Sci had gotten lost in thought, mumbling to himself about metals and mathematical equations that Edge couldn’t even begin to understand. It was really cute too, and Sci had rambled about it all the way back to the lab. It would have been even more adorable if it wasn't for the fact that he was a little miffed at the moment.

You see, instead of going home to rest after staying an hour or two after five, the nerd wasn’t even thinking of going to bed. The very idea of sleep must have been lost somewhere in that brilliant mind of his, as it usually did whenever he was worried or stressed. And so, Sci was staying up, electricity buzzing in front of him as he worked on welding some kind of… bracelet. Occasionally, Sci would glance over at the computer that was open next to him with all of his notes on it, nod, and then get back to work.

Now, you have to understand, Edge loved watching his dork work. Seeing him so lost in thought- so focused that only a select few things could actually gain part of his attention- was breathtaking. This included Sci’s pouting when something wasn’t working out, yelling for joy when he figured out something new, and the pure excitement and pride on his face when he finally finished building something and it worked. The usual.

But he had had  _ plans _ for tonight.

And he understood how important his boyfriend’s work was to him, and that others relied on it, but he was also selfish. And worried, because Sci had started doing this a lot more often than he had been.  Sci hadn’t gotten a proper night’s sleep in a while. 

So It was his job, as _a_ _ good boyfriend _ , to ensure that his nerd got the best dang sleep he could, all projects be darned.

“Hmm…” Sci pouted, tilting his head as he lifted the mask off of his skull. “This  _ should _ work, now I just need to wire it and see if it’ll _actually_ work.”

Or, he could wait until tomorrow to figure it out.

He needed to enact his plan,  _ now. _

He stood up, his bones creaking with the effort, and with a glance to the clock, he noticed that it was almost eleven-thirty at night. Oh, that _definitely_ wouldn't do. 

When Sci didn't notice his movements, he walked up behind him and wrapped his arms slowly around the other’s waist, catching him off guard and causing him to jump just the tiniest bit.

“Sci~” He bemoaned, leaning part of his weight against him. 

“Hello, Edge.” Sci chuckled lightly, but it was clear he was still distracted by his current project. “Can I help you with anything?”

“You can help me sleep, sweetheart~” 

“Just a little bit longer.”

Edge pouted. He didn't want to wait for a ‘little’ longer, he wanted him to come with him  _ now _ .

If he ever did this in Underfell, they’d both be dead men.

Good thing he was thinking about moving in.

“Please~”

“Edge, I really do need to work on this. It’s for Dream, and I need to make sure that it’s ready for him to try tomorrow. He looked really mad when he left- I hope that he and Cross are okay.”

“Babe, I’m sure that they’re fine.” Edge rolled his white eyelights, leaning forward and snuggling his face into the back of Sci’s skull. “An’ Dream can wait for a lil’ longer. He won’t mind if ya come ta bed with me tonight.”

“But I need to-”

“Is it gonna explode?”

“No, but-”

“Is it goin’ ta destroy the lab?”

“No-”

“Is Dream actually gonna be upset with ya?”

“Well-”

“Outside of the pregnancy.” The fell clarified.

Sci paused, thinking. 

“... No…” 

“I thought so.”

“But Edge, I-”

Annoyed and just wanting to get this whole thing to hurry up, he leaned over just a little more and pressed a soft kiss to Sci’s neck. His boyfriend inhaled sharply, movements stilling.

“Can’t ya hear the bed callin’ us?” He asked, his voice low. He let his hands wander a little, his thumbs rubbing circles through Sci’s sweatshirt and pressing gently against the bone. “Just come ta bed with me. We’ll have a nice, relaxin’ sleep. All on me. You won’t have to worry ‘bout anythin’ ‘cept feelin’  _ good _ .”

Silence answered his offer, and he grinned triumphantly.  _ Yes! _

“That’s a…  _ very _ convincing offer, Babe.” Sci turned to look back at him, an attractive look on his face that made Edge want to start it in here.

Sci would get mad at him if he actually did that, though. 

“In fact, I’ll definitely be taking you up on it.” His nerd gave him a wink, and Edge almost kissed him on the teeth. Then he turned around, speaking as though nothing had happened. “Just give me another minute to make sure this thing doesn’t accidentally go up in flames.”

_ Dang-it! _

…

At least he’d actually be able to tear himself away from the project now. He could tell that Sci was actually planning on pausing the project rather than just continuing it anyway. He felt his soul pound in his chest, and he smiled dreamily.

Only _he_ could ever get Sci to do that. Basically, everyone in this world was jealous of him because of it (or at least, that's what he liked to think).

The minute was over before he could think of anything else, and Sci turned around in his arms, wrapping his own around Edge’s neck.

“So~” He sang softly, fingers playing with the back of Edge’s jacket. “You ready, my edgy and boiling hot chemical romance?”

“Boy am I ever.” He placed a chaste kiss to Sci’s teeth, which was really more like a light tap, but whatever. They were going to do more once they got to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small note: This is most likely the closest I will ever write about sex. Except for maybe heated kisses, but the chances of me writing those are very low.


	8. Painted Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You want to know Sci got mad at Error during chapter 23?
> 
> This is why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so maybe I lied during the last SciFell one shot, but I don’t really write kissing scenes either, so this isn’t all that good.
> 
> I’m posting this on my phone, so please forgive me for any mistakes that might have happened!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Hey Nerd, Check it!” Sci turned away from the display, only to press a hand up to his grin as he desperately tried to not laugh. His boyfriend was wearing one of those silly glasses with the large nose and mustache, facepaint of a dragon still on his face from earlier. Sci himself had a science beaker on his cheek, and a bag of souvenirs in his arms from all the other shops.

They had most of the day off today, so they had decided to stop by one of the surface AUs and join in for a little festival of sorts. The local Sans was around here somewhere, selling hotdogs, and as long as Sci and Edge didn't run into him, it would be fine.

When he finally got a hold of himself, he cleared his throat.

“Edge. Babe.”

“Yes?” Edge asked, walking over to him.

“You look ridiculous.”

“I know I do.” He smirked, eyes flickering to Sci’s grin. “In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s the biggest smile I’ve gotten out of ya all day. You’ve been really tense lately.”

“Have I?” Sci asked, letting his grin grow a little wider. “I haven’t noticed.”

“Yup.” Edge’s own smile grew, and he looked really proud of himself for getting Sci to smile like that. Sci chuckled. “Hey, what’s so funny?”

“You.”

“Well, I’ll have you know that I-” Suddenly, and out of seemingly nowhere, a bucket of red paint fell from the sky. It landed on Edge’s skull, simultaneously knocking off his silly glasses, and Sci just  _ barely _ had a good enough reaction time to use his magic to stop the paint from getting everywhere and on everyone in the immediate vicinity.

“Oh my gosh, Edge, are you okay?” He asked, carefully reaching up and taking the bucket off of him after he removed the magic. Edge looked positively  _ livid _ , and that wasn’t always a good thing. “Here, let’s get out of the crowd.”

Edge grumbled, but let Sci lead him around anyway until they were in a semi-secluded area in the park. Sci summoned his healing magic and put it up to Edge’s head, not minding that he was getting paint on his hands. 

“How does that feel?” Sci asked, looking into Edge’s eye light. He was a bit disappointed when he saw that it was just the one, and not two white ones, but that was okay. It told Sci how safe Edge was feeling, and he didn't blame Edge if he felt threatened by a random object falling onto him from out of the sky.

“Better.” Edge admitted, leaning into Sci’s hand. Sci didn't like the upset look on his face, so he pressed a quick kiss to Edge’s teeth.

“It’s okay if you want to go home.” He pointed out. “We can get you showered and get all of that paint off of you.”

“Getting a shower  _ does _ sound good.” Edge admitted, and a smirk appeared as he leaned in a little. “But I was hopin’ ta get somethin’ before we left.”

“Oh?” Sci asked, noticing the change in his boyfriend’s attitude. “And what would that be?”

“Mmm, I’d tell ya, but I’m not sure if you’re comfortable with the paint.”

“If I was uncomfortable, would I do this?” He asked, leaning in and stealing another, slightly longer kiss. He was glad he was wearing an old coat because the paint would be hard to get out.

Edge, as he suspected he would, instantly moved after him to initiate a deeper kiss. Sci let him lead for the moment, wrapping his arms around Edge’s paint-covered shoulders as Edge’s hands found their way to his waist. Their breathing mingled, and Sci was ready to use his tongue to encourage Edge into an even deeper kiss when he heard it.

The sound of an all-too-familiar glitchy portal opening.

And then what he could only assume was another can of paint landed on his head, covering him and Edge both in blue. 

Sci just barely managed to look up in time to see Error standing in the Anti-Void as the portal closed, and he just  _ knew _ that his current project would have to wait. Screw the Creators and their secrets- screw _____TALE!

_ NO ONE _ interrupted his and Edge’s time together like _that_ and got away with it.

“What the funk?!” Edge exclaimed, having not caught on to just  _ who _ had done that.

“Don’t worry, Edge.” Sci consoled, holding his boyfriend tightly against him before teleporting them home. “Error will pay.”

Edge stared at him for a few moments as they arrived in Sci’s lab, watching as Sci ignored the need for a shower to instantly get to work. He watched as he grumbled and plotted, a vengeful glint in his eye sockets as he pulled out the materials that he’d need to start.

Then, he smiled.

“Man, I love this nerd.”


	9. A Feeling in His Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Error and Ink are fighting over the world that Blue had been located to, and Blue realizes something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm supposed to be working on the Ask Event for CKtE, and that's kinda been the only thing that I've written all week. I was starting to lose motivation to do it, so I figured that maybe uploading an pre-written chapter or two would help me get back into the mood.
> 
> This chapter happened after the XEvent but before the events of CKtE- right before Blue finally joined Dream and Ink in their job to protect the Multiverse. It's not all that long, but hey, it's something.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy!

It had been a normal day for Blue.

Go to Labtale to talk to Edge for an hour, go to his job, work, exercise, grab groceries, go on a walk, and then go home.

But today was different.

Because today, Ink and Error were fighting over the fate of the world he had been relocated to.

It had started with a simple vibration- he had thought it was an Earthquake, so he got into position for one.

But when he saw the blue strings tear their way through the cement down the street, he knew that wasn’t so.

“RUN!” He shouted, pointing in the other direction that the strings came from. Many people were confused and didn't know what was going on, but Blue was fully aware of the situation, and he wasn’t about to waste precious time. “QUICK! WE NEED TO EVACUATE!”

The second the word ‘evacuate’ was off of his tongue, he used the machine he had gotten from Sci to shortcut a safe distance away. He struggled just a little bit to pull an emergency portal out from his pocket, throwing it onto the floor. The Sans of the world was nearby and talking to the police when this happened, and when he saw Blue open up the transporters he understood what was happening. He continued to talk to the Police as the world shook again, and a shadow shot over them towards the Destroyer.

_ Ink. _

The two opposing forces met with a giant crash, and Blue teleported back to where he had been to help any who had been caught in the destruction. The Sans of the world joined him quickly, but after several minutes of teleporting people out of the wreckage, Blue found himself partially distracted.

His soul…

_ It was light. _

The burden that had been hanging over him for the past several weeks- it wasn’t there anymore. He… he felt accomplished. Whole.

As he saved a young little girl from being hurt and teleported, a memory flashed before his eyes.

_ (“No! Stop!”) _

He smiled at the little girl and the Police directed her away just as he teleported back, searching in a new area.

_ (“They said to stop!”) _

He helped an elderly man to his feet and teleported him away too, not hesitating to go back even as blue strings nearly caught his soul to rip it to shreds.

_ (“Get out of our way, punk!” One of them laughed. “You’re not strong enough to stop us anyway.”) _

He searched desperately for more survivors, calling out and hearing their voices call back. He almost got blasted by a stray blaster, but he kept going regardless.

_ (“They said stop!” Sans threw up his hand, and his magic followed his command. The bullies jumped away from the wall, separating them. He rushed over to their side, looking over them worriedly. “Are you okay?”) _

He found the group, a family, and teleported them away one by one.

_ (“Who do you think you are?! A Royal Guardsman?!”) _

Yes.

He was.

And just because he didn't fit in his world anymore, didn't mean that he wasn’t a Royal Guard anymore. He had sworn to protect the people, and protect them he will.

When he finished helping the family, the Sans of the world teleported next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“That’s all of them.” He informed. “Let’s-”

“Go on ahead.”

“What?” Blue turned and smiled at the skeleton who had been so kind so as to let him stay in this world, allowing the warmth in his soul to show itself in his smile.

“I can’t just sit here. I need to help.” He looked back towards the fight, preparing his magic for battle. For the first time since the end of the XEvent, his eyelights took the form of stars. “I’m a Royal Guard, after all.”


	10. Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past haunts him, and with everything that has been going on lately, he probably should have seen this comming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can blame Tumblr for this one.
> 
> You can also blame my love for situations like this.
> 
> WARNINGS:  
Death (in Nightmare)  
Phobias  
Panic Attack  
I pretty much took all of the fears/traumas that I thought he would have and did my best to implement them into the dream
> 
> Don't worry! There's comfort at the end. :3
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy!

_ Dark. _

_ It was dark. _

_ Not black, but all of the colors that surrounded him were darker than they should have been. The sky was red, the grass was wilted, and the wind brushed against his bones forebodingly. _

_ The shouts. The screams. They surrounded him- trapped him- forced him to watch as blood burst and flew everywhere. He couldn’t breathe, his chest heaving with the effort that should have granted him what he desired. There was nothing to be seen except for the lone tree that stood beside him, leering over him, haunting him, mocking him. He was holding something in his hands, round and cold, and when he looked down and saw the golden glow that came off of it, he wanted to scream and throw it away. _

_ The next thing he knew, he was biting into it. The sweet taste of the one food that he could not stand filled his mouth, a soft crunch following. Then he bit into it again, and again, and again until there was nothing left except for the resulting sickness that attacked his very being, condemning him for his actions. _

_ “You failed me.” _

_ The words echoed around him, and suddenly he could move. He looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, only for his sight to land upon the bloodied, lifeless bodies that surrounded him. Instantly he turned and ran- ran as far as he could- but only moments later he found himself back where he had started, at the base of the tree.  _

_ “You betrayed me.” _

_ He turned around, ready to try to run the other direction in a futile attempt to leave, but the haunted and tortured lavender eyelights that appeared before him stopped him before he could even take a single step. His breath hitched as his soul churned inside of him, aching at the sight. _

_ “You let me suffer.” _

_ Black. Black, goopy slime was slowly leaking out of their joints, their teeth, their eye sockets. He tried to reach out- to save them, but he couldn’t move. Something cold and hard was crawling up his body, limiting his motions, forcing him to watch. The sensation was swiftly followed by something wrapping tightly around him, and the next thing that he knew he was staring into a single, crazed cyan eye light. _

_ “What’s wrong?” The other cooed, their grip tightening painfully and further restricting any freedom that he might have had. “Don’t you want your punishment? Don’t you want what you deserve, brother?”  _

_ He was frozen now, unable to speak regardless of his current state with how many thoughts were flooding through his head. Tears were somehow able to form, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the grass in a show of his fragile emotional state. _

_ And then, they were walking away. The person who he had looked up to, who he had admired, who he had loved. The one who helped him, who had been with him since the very beginning, the one who granted him solace, was leaving. _

_ ‘No!’ He thought, fighting against his prison to try and say the words out loud. ‘No! Don’t! Don’t leave me! Please! Stop! Come back!’ _

_ The figure paused, somehow hearing his silent pleas. They turned around, slowly, amused. _

_ “You want me to stay?” The other asked. “To come back? I am already gone.” The tentacles waved behind them as they took another step closer. “But perhaps, I could do something more. Something to remind you of where you stand. Of your failure. Of the fact that you do not deserve anything of what has been given to you.” They looked down, eyeing his midsection, his sadistic grin growing further. “And I know just how to do that.” _

_ The realization that washed over him froze him even further, and if he could he would have thrown up. _

_ No. _

_ No!  _

_ No, that wasn’t what he meant! Not that! Anything but that! They- They hadn’t even had the chance to live yet! No, no, he didn't want that! No more death! No more loss! _

_ It was too late. The tentacle was already flying at him, aimed at his precious little one. Unable to leave his prison, he could only cry silently and watch in horror as- _

_ “No!” _

_ The hit never came. _

_ He watched, horrified as someone braced themselves, leaning on him for support that he couldn’t provide. Their face was pained, purple blood sputtering out of teeth as they coughed and wheezed. Their eye lights flickered red and purple with their weakening magic, even as they gave him a pained smile. _

_ “Sorry.” His protector said, struggling to breathe in as they wiped the tears from his stone cheeks. “But… But I promised, didn't I? I-I promised that… That I’d save you… Protect you…” They looked down, smiling in such a broken yet loving way that it tore his soul apart. “Both of you… I’m just… So glad that you’re- that you’re both… okay…” _

_ He tried to shake his head, but he couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. He wanted to run, he wanted to stay, he needed to hold them, he needed to- _

_ “Dream.” Their touch was warm, soothing even as it slowly vanished, dust flying in the wind. “You need to wake up, Dream. Wake up.” _

And just like that, he could breathe.

He gasped for breath, his eye sockets opening to darkness as he struggled against his captor. He could move, but he was still trapped, tangled in something that wasn’t stone. He sobbed openly now, words finally finding him as he wailed apologies and pleas for forgiveness, for mercy.

“Dream!” A voice called, but they were distant. He recognized it, and the moment it clicked in his head who it was he reached out, his hands searching for the source. He didn't have to reach far, and the moment he latched onto the fabric he pulled them down towards him desperately. They let themselves be lowered, and Dream hid his face in their chest, closing his eye sockets as relief echoed through him at the familiar thrum of their soul.

_ Safe. _

They were safe.

“Shhh…” They whispered, gentle arms wrapping around him soothingly. Their hands rubbed at his skull and arms slowly, careful in an attempt to not startle him. The hug was loose and comforting, unlike the thing that was restricting the rest of his movement. He struggled against the object, panic taking over him again, only for it to be soothed when they spoke.

“Hey, it’s okay.” They promised, one of their hands slowly creeping down his arms and towards his legs, pulling at the material and releasing him from its confines. “Shh, it’s okay, see? You just got tangled in the blankets. You’re free now, okay?” They pushed the blanket off of him, and he pulled them closer with his shaking hands in thanks. “Shh… it’s okay, you’re safe. You just had a bad dream. It’s alright. Shh…” 

Slowly, his breathing began to even out, his sobs reducing into simple tears that were wiped away with a loving hand. He breathed, slowly allowing himself to relax as the shaking in his bones. The chest breathed with him, their soul beating in such a steady and calming way that he was slowly able to let go of his bruising grip. It tightened again when the one on top of him strengthened their hold, and his breathing hitched. Why was he restraining him? Did he-

“Shh, it’s okay.” The other soothed, waiting for Dream to relax. “I’m just going to do something that’ll help you, okay?” After contemplating their words for a moment, he nodded. Slowly, and carefully, he was lifted up from the soft bed. Moments later, he was being laid back down on top of them, Dream’s head resting just under their chin.

“That better?” They asked as Dream took another deep breath, basking in the feeling of not being surrounded by all sides- of being free. He nodded, relaxing again on top of them as the rubbing on his skull continued, their other hand moving to rub at his spine. He let himself lean into the hold for a few minutes before opening his eye sockets. 

This time, his eye lights came with them, and he was able to see the outlines of the hotel room they were staying at thanks to the light of a few candles they had lit on the nightstand. The smell of vanilla filled the room because of them, and after a few moments of just breathing in the scent, he tilted his head down. The sight of his golden ecto underneath his pajamas was so relieving that he almost started crying again. He reached his hand up to rub against it, and after a few moments he looked up so that he could look at Cross. The other smiled, his movements not once stopping.

“Hey,” Cross whispered, his voice low and soothing. “You feeling better now?”

“... A little.” Dream admitted, relaxing even further when he could hear his own voice. He closed his eye sockets and snuggled into Cross’ chest, secretly enjoying the vibration that came with Cross’ hum.

“That’s good.” There was a small moment of silence, and Dream could feel Cross shifting under him a little. “It’s about one in the morning. Do you think that you’ll be able to go back to sleep?” Instantly he was shaking his head, holding Cross tighter. “Alright, that’s okay. It sounded and looked like a really bad one.”

“... Did I wake you?” He asked hesitantly, looking up again.

“No, our neighbors woke me up.” Cross rolled his eye lights, amused. “You’d think that they’d soundproof the walls for these rooms, or that they’d understand that people actually want to sleep.” Dream let out a weak laugh, moving one of his hands from Cross’ shirt to his arm, softly rubbing the bone there in a small show of thanks. He was glad that Cross didn't ask about it, but given Dream’s habit of talking in his sleep, there was a good chance that he had an idea.

“Do you want to eat something?” Cross asked after a few moments of relaxing silence. “I know that it’s your first trimester and that you have morning sickness, but…” He trailed off. When Dream shook his head a few seconds later, Cross shifted into a much more comfortable position. “Alright.”

And so, together, they relaxed on top of the bed that they were using for a few nights. Cross ended up falling asleep after an hour or two of quiet casual talk, a soft smile on his face and Dream in his arms. When Dream started feeling tired an hour later, he shifted up a little to place a quick, daring kiss to Cross’ cheek.

“Thank you.” He whispered, laying his head down on Cross’ chest and closing his eye sockets, ready to fall back asleep in Cross' embrace with the knowledge that they were safe. 

Soon, only the sounds of their combined breathing could be heard.


	11. Just Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're just dreams... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I uploaded the first chapter for the bonus scenes, I got questions. Questions about what happened to Blue during the XEvent and how that affected his world.
> 
> This is something that I originally wrote as a bonus scene in response to those questions, but it quickly grew into something more. I'm writing a whole sequel of sorts for CKtE because of it, although none of it is actually canon to CKtE. In fact, this part (which will be a prologue in the sequel-but-not-sequel 'What Was Once His') is probably the only canon thing to have happened in CKtE. Everything that happens after this in WWOH, while it may be canonically sound to CKtE, doesn't actually happen.
> 
> But you guys won't get WWOH until after I'm done writing CKtE X'D
> 
> Anyway- I hope you guys enjoy!

He had never thought that life on the surface would be as good as it sounded.

And it wasn’t, not quite, but it lived up to a lot of people’s dreams and expectations.

Papyrus just wished that he could figure out what was wrong.

Yes, something was wrong, and he couldn’t figure out what it was or why whatever it was was wrong.

Sometimes, he’d be talking to Sans, and suddenly tears would start building up in his eye sockets. They weren’t sad tears, he didn’t feel sad- but they weren’t happy, either.

They just… were.

Sometimes he’d be hanging out with everyone- laughing, having fun, talking- and he’d get this overwhelming feeling that something wasn’t right. That something was wrong- that they were missing  _ something _ , even when everything was accounted for.

Sometimes, when he and his brother would go to hang out with the alternate versions of themselves, he’d look around- like he was waiting for someone to show up. Like he was waiting for something to happen, to appear out of nowhere and get everything to make sense.

And sometimes, when he’d go to sleep, he’d have nightmares. 

While that was normal, in a way- the dreams weren’t. They weren’t of the resets or flowers ruthlessly attacking him and his bro, they were of something else.

One of them was of a child. One like Chara, but different. 

Their hand would press a purple button, and suddenly he and Sans and Chara would be killing each other, dying, melting from excessive amounts of DT- every single horrifying scenario he could think of would happen. He’d normally wake up screaming to it- Sans would come in and ask him what was wrong, and he’d just say it was a silly nightmare so that his brother wouldn’t worry about him.

The other one wasn’t exactly a nightmare, but it haunted him just as much.

In it, he’d be walking and talking with Sans, just like they’d do on their morning walks. Sans would pun, Papyrus would humor him- just like normal.

But then Sans would glitch- flicker in and out of existence before vanishing. The world around him would shift until he was standing in front of someone else, their face hidden from his sight. They had their hand held out like they wanted to show him something, but the moment he tried to grab it, they would pull their hand away.

_ “No,” _ They’d say with tears falling down their cheeks.  _ “You should be happy. You don’t need me anymore. Don’t worry- I’ll be okay.” _

Now, he knew that that doesn’t actually sound like a nightmare, but whenever he would wake up from that dream he’d still cry. His soul would still beat wildly in his chest and he’d still have trouble going back to sleep.

The worst part?

The person in his dreams sounded just like Sans, but different. And he knew that other versions of his brother existed, but he was positive that the next closest one to his Sans was either a version of Swapfell, one where his brother was _way _more childish, or a weird one where Sans is so in love he starts killing people.

The Sans from his dreams were not any of those, and that…

_ That scared him. _

He had talked to Undyne and Asgore about the dreams, and they had all agreed. These dreams were just dreams- nothing more, nothing less. Simple figments of his imagination that wanted to run wild and that he would probably have to learn to live with.

They were  _ both _ just dreams, so there was no reason to worry…

…

…

_ Right? _


End file.
